Beer: Greene King Very Special IPA

This is quite a nice beer. It’s Greene King’s attempt at replicating the famous India Pale Ales of the 18th century, and while I imagine it’s more polished and pretty than the originals, it’s still quite delicious.

Bronze in colour, it combines spicy, hoppy notes with rich, almost sweet toffee and honey flavours, finishing with a tangy bitterness that’s pretty much masked by the sweetness. I’d have preferred this a little edgier with the hoppiness to the fore – as it stands it’s a little too easy and sweet. But it’s still a nice drink. 7.5% alcohol. 7.5/10 in score (Tesco £1.83)